Monmouthshire

Monmouthshire's population grew in the 10 years leading up to 2011. At the same time there were changes in average age, religion and health.

The population passed 91,000

In the 10 years leading up to the latest census, the population of Monmouthshire increased by 7.6%, from just under 84,900 to 91,300.

The addition of just over 6,400 people means this area's population was the third-fastest-growing in Wales, while Monmouthshire became the sixth-least populous local authority area in the country.

In 2011, Monmouthshire was home to, on average, 0.77 people per football pitch-sized piece of land.

Population density was similar to the average across Wales

Population density (usual residents per football pitch-sized piece of land) across Wales, March 2011 (larger dots represent greater increase since 2001)

An older Monmouthshire

Census 2011 data also show a change in the local population's average age.

Between the last two censuses, the median age of Monmouthshire increased by four years, from 41 to 45 years.

This remote area had a slightly higher average age than Shropshire (one of the most statistically similar areas to Monmouthshire based on ONS area classifications) (44 years of age) and the third-highest average age in Wales.

The rise in age was because of an increase of almost 3,500 people between the ages of 60 and 69 years, while the population between 30 and 39 years decreased by almost 3,000.

About 14% of people in Monmouthshire are aged between 60 and 69 years

Percentage of usual residents in Wales, Newport and Monmouthshire by 10 year age band, March 2001 and March 2011

Welsh language in Monmouthshire

The proportion of Welsh speakers in Monmouthshire increased from 9.0% to 9.9% in the 10 years leading up to Census 2011.

This was the largest increase in the proportion of Welsh speakers of any local authority area in the country. The next largest increase was seen in Caerphilly (from 11% in 2001 to 11% in 2011), while Carmarthenshire saw the largest decline (from 50% to 44%).

There are 1,352 more people living in Monmouthshire who spoke Welsh compared with 2001, while the number of people who did not spoke Welsh increased by 4,906.

In Newport (the local authority area that shares the largest boundary with Monmouthshire), 9.3% of people over the age of three could speak some Welsh, down from 9.6% at the 2001 census. Across Wales, the proportion fell from 21% to 19%.

The proportion of people who could speak Welsh was lower than across Wales

Percentage of people aged three and over that said they could speak Welsh across local authority areas in Wales and the average across Wales, March 2011

Religion in Monmouthshire

The number of people in Monmouthshire that described themselves as Christian decreased from just over 63,000 in 2001 to just over 57,000 in 2011. This represents a change from 75% to 63% of the local population.

The percentage decreased by less than the average across Wales (from 72% to 58%).

The number of people in Monmouthshire that described themselves as having no religion increased from about 14,000 in 2001 to just over 26,000 in 2011 (from 17% to 28%). The number of people who did not disclose their religious affiliation increased from about 6,600 to just over 7,000. However, as a percentage of the total population, this represented a decrease from 7.8% to 7.7%.

About 390 people (0.2%) said they identified with a religion other than Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Judaism, Buddhism or Sikhism, up from about 150 in 2001 (0.4%).

There are many factors that can cause changes to the religious profile of an area, such as migration and varying fertility rates between religious groups. Changes may also be caused by differences in the way individuals choose to self-identify between censuses.

The population who identified as Christian in Monmouthshire decreased by 12 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents in Wales, Newport and Monmouthshire by religion, March 2001 and March 2011

Health improved

The percentage of people in ’bad’ or ’very bad’ health fell in Monmouthshire, but at a slower rate than all other local authority areas in Wales.

Rates are standardised to account for variation in age, which can impact the local population's health.

Every local authority area across Wales saw a fall in the proportion of residents that perceived their health as bad or very bad, as the regional average fell from 12% to 7.6%.

In 2011, just over 1 in 17 (5.9%) in Monmouthshire said their health was bad or very bad, compared with 9.5% in 2001. The percentage that perceived their health as good or very good increased from 69% to 80%.

Cardiff saw Wales' next largest rise in the proportion of residents that perceived their health as bad or very bad (from 10% to 6.4%).

These data are people’s own opinions in describing their overall health. They may be inconsistent with other measures of health, such as NHS records.

The percentage of people in ’bad’ or ’very bad’ health in Monmouthshire decreased by 3.6 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents in Monmouthshire, Newport and Wales said their health was bad or very bad, March 2001 and March 2011

More single people in Monmouthshire

The proportion of people who had never married or entered a civil partnership increased in Monmouthshire, but at a slower rate than all other local authority areas in Wales, except Powys.

During this period, Monmouthshire fell below to become the Wales local authority area with the lowest percentage of single people.

In 2011, just over one in four (26%) people aged 16 and over in Monmouthshire said they were single, compared with 23% in 2001. The percentage that said they were married decreased from 58% to 54%.

Wales' largest decrease in the proportion of people who had never been married or in a civil partnership occurred in Powys (from 25% to 28%).

The proportion of people who had never married or entered a civil partnership was lower than across Wales

Percentage of usual residents aged 16 and over that said they were single across local authority areas in Wales and the average across Wales, March 2011

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